This application is based on and claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 11-271,064, filed Sep. 24, 1999.
1. Field of the Invention
This application is directed to an immobilization system for watercraft. In particular, the present invention is directed to an antitheft device having a transponder embedded in a lanyard.
2. Description of Related Art
The popularity of personal watercraft has increased dramatically in recent years. Unfortunately, this increase in popularity has also brought about an increase in personal watercraft theft.
In order to protect against personal watercraft theft, personal watercraft of the past have included a number of antitheft devices. One of these devices is a lanyard switch which also functions as an emergency shutoff device. The lanyard switch includes a stop switch that protrudes from a handlebar assembly and claw-shaped lanyard lock plate that engages the stop switch for allowing an ignition system of an engine to operate. The lock plate includes a cord and a wrist strap for attaching the lock plate to an operator""s wrist or a clip for attaching the lock plate to the operator""s clothing so that if the operator falls off the watercraft during operation, the lock plate will be disengaged from the stop switch so as to kill the engine.
With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional lanyard 10 is illustrated therein. As shown in FIG. 1, a personal watercraft 12 includes a steering assembly 14 having a pair of grips 16 configured to be grasped by a user 18. The user 18 rotates the steering assembly 14 in order to steer the watercraft 12.
Adjacent one of the grips 16, a kill switch 20 is mounted to the steering assembly 14 and is configured to selectively kill the operation of an engine powering the watercraft 12. The kill switch 20 is operated by the lanyard 10.
As shown in FIG. 2, the lanyard 10 includes a kill switch button 22 that is spring loaded and mounted in a kill switch assembly 24. The kill switch button 22 is spring biased towards a kill position. A lanyard locking plate 26 is configured to fit between a lower surface of the kill switch button 22 and an outer surface of the kill switch assembly 24. The lanyard plate 26 is also attached to a tether 28 which connects the lanyard plate 26 to a wristband 30, as viewed in FIG. 1. Thus, during operation, if a user 18 falls from the watercraft 12, the tether 28 pulls the lanyard plate 26 away from the kill switch assembly 24, thus allowing the kill button 22 to move inward towards a kill position, thus killing the engine and stopping the watercraft 12. Typically, the kill switch assembly 24 also includes an additional kill button 32 which the user 18 can activate at any time to kill the engine.
The lanyard switch provides some antitheft protection because the lock plate is required to engage the stop switch in order to start and operate the engine. The problem with using a lanyard switch as the only means of antitheft protection is that other plates and mechanisms can be substituted for the lock plate thus allowing the engine to start and operate without using the lock plate originally supplied with the watercraft. As a result, the lanyard switch alone does not provide significant antitheft protection.
Other conventional personal watercraft has been provided with an ignition key. This key and its corresponding lock cylinder allowed the starter motor, which starts the engine, to be activated by a start switch located on the handlebar assembly of the watercraft. The key helped to protect against theft because without it, the watercraft engine is virtually impossible to start.
One drawback of this type of antitheft ignition key is that the operator is required to carry the ignition key as well as the lanyard safety device. Watercraft users typically wear a bathing suit or a wetsuit which do not usually include reliable means for carrying such a key. Thus, if the operator loses or forgets the key, the watercraft is completely inoperable.
Another type of conventional device that is used has an antitheft device is a lanyard having a unique digital circuit mounted in the lanyard which makes electrical contact with a terminal provided on the handlebar assembly of the watercraft during operation. For example, with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, a conventional lanyard cap 34 is illustrated therein. As shown in FIG. 3, the lanyard cap 34 includes a cap-shaped outer housing 36 and a digital circuit 38. The digital circuit 38 includes two electrical contacts 40, 42 and a digital password portion 44.
The lanyard cap 34 is made from molded plastic and the circuit 38 is embedded within the plastic forming the cap 36. The contacts 40, 42 are left exposed on their inner surfaces. Additionally, a lower surface 46 of the digital password portion is also left exposed.
The watercraft using lanyard cap 34 includes a lanyard terminal on a kill switch assembly similar to the kill switch assembly 24 illustrated in FIG. 2. When a user wishes to start the engine of such a watercraft, the user places the lanyard cap 34 onto the terminal at which time the contacts 40, 42 of the circuit 38 makes contact with corresponding terminals on the lanyard terminal. An engine controller of the watercraft communicates with the digital password portion 44 and determines whether the proper password is stored therein. If the proper password is not stored therein, the engine controller will not allow the watercraft engine to be started. Additionally, if the lanyard cap 34 is removed during operation of the watercraft, the engine will be killed.
According to one aspect of the present invention, an immobilization system for a watercraft includes a lanyard system in which a lanyard member includes a transponder embedded therein without having a plurality of electrical contacts exposed on the outer surface of the lanyard member. Additionally, the system includes a communication device which communicates with the transponder to determine if the transponder includes a predetermined security code. By constructing the lanyard member such that a plurality of electrical contacts are not left exposed on the outer surface of the lanyard member, the immobilization system of the present invention is more protected from the corrosive effects of water, such as a body of water in which a watercraft operates, yet provides an antitheft function without requiring the user to carry additional hardware.
Further aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiments which follow.